Biennial Report 2016-2018
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Thirty-Third Biennial Report July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2018 New Mexico Legislative Council and Legislative Council Service New Mexico Legislative Council Service New Mexico Legislative Council Service 411 State Capitol Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 (505) 986-4600 www.nmlegis.gov 202.210961 CONTENTS OVERVIEW The 2016-2018 Biennium in Brief Interims ........................................................................................................................ 3 Sessions ........................................................................................................................ 5 THE NEW MEXICO LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Membership ............................................................................................................................. 11 Historical Background ............................................................................................................. 13 Duties .................................................................................................................................... 13 Policy Changes ........................................................................................................................ 15 Interim Committees Permanent Legislative Education Study Committee .................................................................... 19 Legislative Finance Committee .................................................................................. 20 Statutory and New Mexico Legislative Council-Created Courts, Corrections and Justice Committee ............................................................... 25 Economic and Rural Development Committee .......................................................... 28 Indian Affairs Committee........................................................................................... 32 Interim Legislative Ethics Committee ........................................................................ 36 Investments and Pensions Oversight Committee ....................................................... 37 Land Grant Committee ............................................................................................... 40 Legislative Health and Human Services Committee .................................................. 44 Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee ................................................................. 52 Mortgage Finance Authority Act Oversight Committee ............................................ 54 New Mexico Finance Authority Oversight Committee ............................................. 55 Radioactive and Hazardous Materials Committee ..................................................... 57 Revenue Stabilization and Tax Policy Committee ..................................................... 59 Science, Technology and Telecommunications Committee ...................................... 61 Tobacco Settlement Revenue Oversight Committee .................................................. 64 Water and Natural Resources Committee .................................................................. 64 Subcommittees, Task Forces and Special Interim Bodies Behavioral Health Subcommittee ............................................................................... 71 Criminal Justice Reform Subcommittee .................................................................... 71 Disabilities Concerns Subcommittee ......................................................................... 72 Public School Capital Outlay Oversight Task Force .................................................. 72 Senate Rules Committee ............................................................................................ 75 Transportation Infrastructure Revenue Subcommittee ............................................... 75 Appointments to Other Bodies Capitol Buildings Planning Commission ................................................................... 81 Commission on Uniform State Laws ......................................................................... 82 Education Commission of the States .......................................................................... 82 Additional Appointments ........................................................................................... 83 THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SERVICE Duties .................................................................................................................................... 87 Policies .................................................................................................................................... 88 Staff .................................................................................................................................... 88 Staff Changes .......................................................................................................................... 90 Activities ................................................................................................................................. 92 Library .................................................................................................................................... 93 Publications ............................................................................................................................. 94 Legislative Information System .............................................................................................. 97 Legislative Printing Services ................................................................................................... 99 Joint Mail Room and Bill Room ............................................................................................. 99 BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS, CAPITOL ART FOUNDATION AND INFORMATION AND TOUR SERVICES Buildings and Grounds .......................................................................................................... 103 Capitol Art Foundation.......................................................................................................... 103 Information and Tour Services .............................................................................................. 104 APPENDIX Statement of Appropriations and Expenditures of the Legislative Council Service Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2017 and Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2018 ..................... 109 Legislative Council Policy 5 revisions .................................................................................. 110 Anti-Harassment Policy 2018 ............................................................................................... 111 New Mexico Legislative Staff Code of Conduct 2018 ......................................................... 116 Overview The 2016-2018 Biennium in Brief During the course of the 2016-2018 biennium, the legislature convened for two regular sessions and two special sessions, and legislators served on 51 interim committees, subcommittees, task forces and other working bodies. As happened two years prior, control of the house of representatives once again changed with the 2016 election, this time from Republican to Democrat. As a result, nearly all interim bodies reverted to single-party control after two years of bipartisan control. No new special- topic bodies were created for the biennium, and some that convened during the previous biennium were discontinued, including the Capitol Security Subcommittee, the House Special Investigatory Committee, the Jobs Council and the Jobs Council Subcommittee. The Behavioral Health Subcommittee (BHS) and the Disabilities Concerns Subcommittee (DCS) — both subcommittees of the Legislative Health and Human Services Committee (LHHS) — did not plan to convene during the 2018 interim; rather, their areas of concern would be addressed by the committee as a whole. Interims It can be a good thing to have three branches in government; when two are at loggerheads, each can plead its case to the third. During the 2016-2018 biennium, relations between the New Mexico legislative and executive branches dipped to such a low that the judicial branch was called upon to settle multiple disputes. The legislature's 2017 interim work got a delayed start when the governor line-item vetoed essentially all fiscal year (FY) 2018 funding for legislative and higher education operations in the budget bill, and the New Mexico Legislative Council filed suit over the vetoes. The council's argument hinged on separation of powers and executive branch overreach; the New Mexico Supreme Court's decision not to hear the case hinged on a pending special session that could resolve the matter without judicial involvement. The special session convened, funding was restored and the dust from that battle cleared, though not without consequence. Faced with budget uncertainty just as high school seniors were making college choices, many of the state's higher education institutions saw a dip in enrollment for the coming academic year, and some resorted to raising tuition rates. In addition, a year after speaking out against the governor's vetoes, the chancellor of New Mexico State University (NMSU) was out of a job when the university's governor-appointed board of regents did not renew his contract. Another legal battle continued throughout 2017 and well into 2018 — the council's suit contending that 10 vetoed bills from the 2017 regular session became law without signature for lack of constitutionally required veto messages. By the time the supreme court unanimously ruled in favor of the council's argument, nearly a year had passed